You Can Stay in Princess Diana’s Bedroom for $40,000
The breathtaking childhood home of Princess Diana is opening its doors for overnight stays to raise money for charity.
Guests will even be able to stay in Diana’s old bedroom at the Northamptonshire estate, which is owned by her brother, Earl Charles Spencer. Diana’s final resting place is also on the grounds, on a small island on the estate’s Oval Lake. Guests can pay respects at a memorial across the lake.
The Grade I-listed (a historic designation, similar to a landmark building in the U.S.) Althorp estate has been open to day visitors since 1998, a year after Diana died in a car accident. The 13,000-acre estate is also a popular location for filming, weddings, and festivals. According to the estate’s official site, it encompasses cottages, farms, woodlands, and villages, all of which combine to offer a rich mix of landscapes, habitats, and activities. Sounds a bit like Downton Abbey, no?
In an exclusive interview, the earl revealed that he decided to open the home for overnight visits after his American wife, Countess Karen Spencer, came up with the idea as a way to raise funds for her charity, Whole Child International.
“But I was instantly on board,” added Charles. “I’ve always thought of this house as contributing. It’s not just a little bastion or fortress of privilege.”
But the opportunity of staying at the grounds doesn’t come cheap: It will reportedly cost between $25,000 and $40,000 for couples to stay in the 100,000-square-foot home about 75 miles north of London. For $250,000, a group of up to 18 people can take over the stately spread.
More details will be revealed on NBC’s Dateline: On Assignment on Sunday evening, when Charles and Karen will be taking the show on a tour of never-before-seen areas of the mansion.
